Tebello Nyokong facts for kids

Tebello Nyokong (born 20 October 1951) is a famous South African chemist. She is a distinguished professor at Rhodes University.

Professor Nyokong is known for her research into a cancer treatment called photo-dynamic therapy. This could be an alternative to chemotherapy. Her work has made her one of South Africa's top scientists.

From Shepherd to Scientist

Tebello Nyokong was born in Maseru, Lesotho, on 20 October 1951. She spent most of her childhood in South Africa. Her family was poor, and she faced many challenges growing up.

She was sent to live with her grandparents in the mountains of Lesotho. Her childhood was split between school and caring for sheep. She would go to school one day and then look after the sheep the next.

Despite these hardships, she worked hard and was excellent at math and science. She proved that being poor in money doesn't mean you are poor in mind. She learned to trust her own ideas and not be swayed by what others thought. Her love for science guided her to a successful career.

Choosing Science

Just two years before finishing high school, she switched from studying art to science. She discovered a passion for chemistry. In 1972, she earned her Cambridge Overseas School Certificate.

Nyokong earned her first degree in chemistry and biology from the National University of Lesotho in 1977. She then moved to Canada to continue her studies. She received a Master's degree from McMaster University in 1981. In 1987, she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Western Ontario.

After her Ph.D., she was awarded a special Fulbright scholarship. This allowed her to do more research at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

A Career in Chemistry

After her time in the U.S., Nyokong returned to Africa. She worked briefly at the University of Lesotho. In 1992, she became a lecturer at Rhodes University in South Africa.

The National Research Foundation saw her talent and helped her get her own research lab. She was soon promoted from a lecturer to a professor, and then a distinguished professor.

Fighting Cancer with Light

Professor Nyokong is famous for her work in nanotechnology and photo-dynamic therapy. Nanotechnology is science done on a super tiny scale, with particles smaller than the eye can see.

Her research is helping to create a safer way to find and treat cancer. This method, called photo-dynamic therapy, uses a special drug and light to target and destroy cancer cells. It could be a big improvement over chemotherapy, which can have difficult side effects.

Her team develops "nanodrugs" that can find cancer cells in the body. These tiny particles can be activated with light. When the light shines on them, they release a substance that kills only the tumor cells. This leaves healthy cells unharmed.

Helping Other Scientists

In 2021, Professor Nyokong co-wrote an article in a famous science journal called Nature Materials. She wrote about the challenges that scientists in Africa face.

She explained that while governments help pay for universities, more money is needed for research itself. She believes that teamwork between scientists from different countries is very important. This helps create a strong science community and turn new discoveries into useful products.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Nyokong has received many awards for her amazing work. She was given South Africa's highest honor, the Order of Mapungubwe.

• In 2009, she won the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science.
• In 2012, she received the South African Chemical Institute Gold Medal.
• In 2013, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Research Foundation.
• In 2016, she won the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Award for Scientific Excellence.

She has also been named one of the most influential women in science and technology in Africa.

In 2014, she was part of a photo project called 21 Icons. The photographer, Adrian Steirn, took a picture of her dressed as a shepherd in a chemist's white lab coat. It showed how she had come from herding sheep as a child to becoming a top scientist. Money from selling the photos went to charity.

See also

In Spanish: Tebello Nyokong para niños